RIDLEY TOWNSHIP — It’s the place with the funny name where people hold doors open for you, the sandwiches are fresh and the coffee is warm, and on Wednesday, Wawa convenience stores will celebrate 50 years of serving up everything from hoagies and coffee to milk and cigarettes.

The first Wawa convenience store opened in April 1964 on MacDade Boulevard in the Folsom section of Ridley Township, where it still stands. Since then, more than 600 stores have been built in six states, including a recent expansion into Florida, and the silhouette of a Canada goose flapping in front of a setting sun has become a familiar symbol to Montgomery County residents.

“Wawa has become more than just a retailer, it’s become a part of our community and a part of our customers’ lives,” said Howard Stoeckel, vice chairman of Wawa’s board of directors. He began working for Wawa in 1987 as vice president of human resources and eventually became CEO in 2005.

Stoeckel said that the creation of Wawa convenience stores sprouted from a steep decline in the number of customers who received home delivery of milk from the company’s dairy. The stores served as an outlet for the company’s products that competed with local grocery stores. It has slowly morphed into the retail giant of today.

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“Over 50 years we’ve evolved from an alternative to grocery stores to a restaurant option with gasoline,” Stoeckel said. “Fifty years ago, most of our products made it to the home. Now, our products almost never make it home.”

Today, Wawa’s biggest competitors are fast food chains such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Subway. Stoeckel believes that Wawa’s willingness to evolve has enabled the company to not only survive, but to thrive. He worked for Wanamaker’s Department Store in Philadelphia in the 1960s, and he feels that the store’s unwillingness to embrace change led to its demise in the mid-1990s.

“They didn’t change with the times and they became irrelevant,” Stoeckel said.

The number of Wawa stores reached 100 by 1972 and climbed to 500 by 1992. There are now approximately 650 stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Florida. The company has no plans to slow its expansion, with a projected increase of 25 new stores per year opening over the next five years, most in Florida.

The allure of Wawa, Stoeckel said, is the quality of its products and the friendly environment employees work to create at all of its stores. A trip to Wawa has become an important part of many people’s lives.

“It tends to jump start your day. We call it the “Cheers” of convenience stores. That’s what makes Wawa, Wawa,” he said.

At Wawa No. 1, Manager Corey Milano said he has developed personal relationships with many of his customers. A Wawa employee for 17 years, Milano is six months in to his second stint as manager at Store No. 1.

“The community is really proud of their Wawa here,” said Milano, a Drexel Hill resident. He said many customers brag to their friends and family in the store that their Wawa was the first.

The community effect doesn’t stop at Wawa’s front doors, which used to be sliding glass that opened the store to the elements. He said he is frequently recognized by customers outside of work.

“I’ll be out with my family and even though I might not remember somebody’s names, they always recognize me,” Milano said. “Wawa makes you famous.”

On Wednesday, the official 50th anniversary celebration will feature retro decorations and uniforms in the first Wawa store, as well as appearances by company leaders and, of course, Wawa mascot Wally Goose. The festivities will begin at 6 a.m. and will continue at the Wawa at 17th and Arch streets in Philadelphia with a proclamation of April 16 as “Wawa Day.” The day will conclude with a reception for invited guests at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and the announcement of the Wawa Foundation, a new entity created to support Wawa’s charitable giving and philanthropic activities.